Minister Tjahjo: Election Bill will be Finalized This Week

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Interior Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said the election bill will soon be finalized. “It will be finalized and submitted to the President this week,” he said on Tuesday at his office.

Tjahjo believes that the bill will be concluded before the House of Representatives (DPR) enter its recess period on October 28. At present, the Interior Ministry together with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry is harmonizing the bill, he said.

Tjahjo said he is open to inputs from both political parties and the society. The DPR itself had urged the government to conclude the election bill. Because recess period is fast approaching and it would be ideal to have it in place 24 months before elections are held.

Tjahjo believes that there is still time to deliberate on the draft bill. “The [election] stage will only begin by the middle of next year,” he said. He said that after the DPR’s recess period ends the ministry will have five months of deliberation time for the election bill.

The election draft bill incorporates three laws on election, namely Law on Election, Law on Legislative Election, and Law on Presidential Election. The Law on Regional Election is excluded and will remain a stand alone law.